Israel has announced a ban on entry to the Gaza Strip for some foreign medical and humanitarian personnel, a decision that threatens to suspend the activities of several international organizations in the territory ravaged by more than two years of war. Israeli authorities are now requiring NGOs to register detailed information about their employees with them, under threat of having to cease operations.
According to humanitarian sources, some of the 37 organizations concerned are considering complying with these new rules, fearing a worsening of the humanitarian crisis if their access to Gaza is permanently blocked. Three NGOs indicated that their foreign staff were informed this week that they could no longer enter the enclave, whereas the movement of international humanitarian personnel had previously been generally permitted.
The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, responsible for the registration process, claims these measures are intended to prevent the diversion of humanitarian aid by Palestinian armed groups. NGOs dispute this justification, pointing out that little evidence has been presented to support these accusations, which have also been called into question by an analysis from the US government. They further argue that sharing data on their staff could increase security risks, given that hundreds of aid workers have been killed or injured since the start of the conflict.
Among the organizations affected are Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Doctors of the World Switzerland, and the Danish Refugee Council, all of which reported that their international staff were denied entry to Gaza. MSF plays a central role in the local health system, supporting several Ministry of Health hospitals and managing field medical facilities. The NGO warns that the lack of key personnel could lead to serious gaps in emergency services.
Israeli authorities maintain that some 20 organizations have accepted the new rules and will be able to continue delivering aid. However, a UN-led coordination body estimates that these actors will only be able to cover a fraction of the humanitarian needs, while homelessness and hunger remain widespread among Gaza's approximately two million inhabitants.
On the ground, the potential consequences are deeply worrying. Displaced residents, dependent on food and financial aid provided by NGOs now threatened with being banned, fear "total devastation" if these organizations were to withdraw. Local medical officials are also warning of an already critical health situation, marked by massive shortages of medicines, which could deteriorate further without international humanitarian support.
